There’s a sense of impending doom to Tigercub’s ‘Abstract Figures In The Dark’. There’s simply nothing to be done about the imminent annihilation of everything but sing it out. And that’s what the band do best.

From the opening groove-laced lament of ‘Burning Effigies’, through the shuddering ‘Migraine’ to the insular ‘Serial Killer’, Tigercub expand on every world they’ve ever created. Anxious and uncertain, the band take the unspoken mood that’s building and give it a voice. It’s political and pissed off without resorting to spat anger. They’re cleverer than that. Shouting at the abyss isn’t going to change anything but maybe a hand to hold as we slide into the dark will.

As much as the album rages, there are more textures at play. There’s a beauty to way it ebbs and flows and the fire eventually gives into the tide as the band wash it all away by the time ‘Black Tides’ come around. ‘Abstract Figures In The Dark’ doesn’t claim to have the answers, it’s a never-ending cycle of anger and acceptance, but there’s serenity and a hope in not facing it alone. There’s nowhere to hide with this record, so chin up. Embrace it all. Ali Shutler